Local farmers find new (old) use for stew hens

Oct. 28, 2010

Four and Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie. / LAURA SORKIN, for the Free Press

Written by

Laura Sorkin, Free Press Correspondent

There was a time when the farmer’s wife would grab her hatchet and head out to the chicken coop to prepare dinner.

A young chicken would be chosen for a succulent roast but every so often, it was time to cull an older hen whose egg production had declined. Though the older bird was not tender enough for roasting, the meat was perfectly delicious for the stew pot. It would have been wasteful to do otherwise.

In today’s food industry there are breeds of chicken for meat production and breeds for egg production. A meat bird is raised and slaughtered between six and eight weeks of age. A laying hen, on the other hand, doesn’t even begin egg production until 18 to 20 weeks and will continue to do so until roughly 18 to 20 months when production declines. These birds were bred to put out eggs, not to put on weight so at around 3 pounds they are smaller than what we have come to consider broiler size (4-5 pounds). The bird, however, is perfectly good chicken and can result in rich broth and delicious stew meat.

We’re losing our ability to cook with these birds and to appreciate their bolder flavor in this world of boneless chicken breasts. This is sad since a perfectly delicious source of protein is going to waste in pet food and fertilizer, and sometimes just thrown away. Those who keep small flocks of layers in their backyard have the opportunity to revive this culinary art. For those who don’t keep chickens, stew hens are becoming more available from local farmers.

Mark Fasching and Christa Alexander of Jericho Settler’s Farm are among those bringing the stew hens back to the market. Fasching and Alexander have been increasing their laying flock over the past several years and are now overseeing about 1,000 hens. When the hens reach 20 months old, their egg production dips enough that they eat more feed than they produce in eggs and it is time for them to go. Not wanting to compost or dispose of perfectly good meat, Alexander began offering the layers as “stew hens” to their CSA members and through word of mouth.

The layers are pasture-raised in the summer and free-range in the greenhouse during the winter just like their broilers. Because of this, the meat is rich and “chickeny.” The birds are sold at a lower price than their broilers (3 for $25 as opposed to 3 for $65) due to their smaller size and age. This year they sold all 220 stew hens. Because they are increasing their egg production, the farm will have 750 stew hens next year all of which are processed at a state inspected facility.

Bay Hammond of Doolittle Farm in Shoreham also sells stew hens from her farm and at the Middlebury farmers market. Hammond says she has many customers who are grateful to find them since they have all but disappeared from supermarkets. She has also been introducing them to her younger customers who have never had access to the rich meat. At $3.50 a pound for local, organic pastured chicken, they are also an affordable means of eating local healthy food.

While a stew hen won’t make a good roast chicken, there are many possibilities for long simmered meat and the resulting broth. You could make a simple chicken soup using the meat and broth in one dish. Or you could stew the hen creating a chicken stock that has excellent depth of flavor and then use the meat for burritos, chili, pulled-pork type barbeque, dumplings, ravioli, empanadas, stuffed cabbage or any dish that calls for pre-cooked meat. Though opinions on how long to cook them vary, anywhere from two to four hours at a low simmer will result in tender meat.

Stew hens probably won’t make a big comeback because we are engrossed in convenience. Nevertheless, the Slow Food movement and others like it have revived our collective desire to return thought and effort to what we put on the table. The stew hen may be the poster livestock for this philosophy. Try one and you will see that the farmer’s wife had very good sense indeed.

Recipe: Four and Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie

In honor of Halloween, I thought I would choose a somewhat macabre presentation to an otherwise tame dish. This is simply a version of chicken pot pie with fabricated bird feet sticking out of the pastry. I would love to take credit for it, but, I confess, I found a picture of it in a cookbook by Roald Dahl called “Revolting Recipes” (Viking, 1994). I used my own recipe for the pie, though. For the chicken feet you can use pipe cleaners or parsley stems.

Sometimes, chicken pot pie can be a bit bland and the cook or consumer loads it up with salt to compensate. To avoid this, I added some sherry to the sauce to give it a more rounded flavor without the salt. It is also my personal preference to have a thinner sauce. If you prefer it thicker, you can add two teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with a little water.

If you do not have access to a stew hen, you can use a regular chicken, but reduce the stewing time to about 35 minutes.

Find a pot that can hold the entire bird comfortably (you may need to halve or quarter it). Put the bird in the pot with the chopped onion. Add a little oil to the pan and put on medium heat. Gently brown the bird and the onion for five to 10 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme and enough water to cover the bird. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Keep the pot on a low simmer for two hours, adding more water as necessary to keep the chicken covered. After two hours, take a small sample of the meat to check for tenderness. If it is too tough, continue cooking and check every half hour until it reaches the desired consistency. When it is tender, turn off the heat, let cool a bit and strain over a colander into a big bowl. When the bird is cool enough, separate the meat from the bones and set aside. Also set aside the broth. Toss the bones and onion.

In a small pot, add the barley and roughly one and a half cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until just tender, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, add a tablespoon of oil and heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, leeks and shallots and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until they begin to lightly brown. Add the butter and flour — this will create a roux that will coat the vegetables. Cook for several minutes and then add a quart of the chicken broth, the sherry, chopped chicken meat and barley. Stir well and let simmer for 10 minutes. Check for seasonings and add more salt as desired. Add cornstarch if a thicker consistency is desired.

Place the chicken mixture in a pie or casserole dish, but choose one in which the chicken comes up nearly to the top. Sprinkle fresh parsley and dill over the top. Remove the pastry from its package and gently place it over the rim of the dish and seal the edges down with your fingers. Cut a 2 inch hole in the middle to let steam escape. Put the dish in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes, then put the “feet” in upside down and serve.

Laura Sorkin runs Cave Moose Farm in Cambridge. If you have questions or story ideas contact her at laura.sorkin@hotmail.com.